Microscopical image analysis is well known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,845. The purpose of image analysis is to determine particular qualities of objects in the field of view. In particular, in the case of image analysis of microscopical samples such as biopsies, blood or urine, it is highly desirable to determine properties of the particles in view such as: area, mass density, shape, etc. However, in order to determine the particular parameter of the particles in the object of view, the boundary of the particles must first be located.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,845, a method of locating the boundary of particles is described using the technique of "neighbors of the neighbors".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,713 also discloses an apparatus for processing two-dimensional data. In that reference, an analysis of the six nearest neighbors of an element is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,299 discloses yet another method for locating the boundary of a particle in the field of view.
A urinalysis machine manufactured and sold by International Remote Imaging Systems, Inc. under the trademark the Yellow IRIS.TM. has used the teaching of the '299 patent to locate the boundary of a particle and thereafter to determine the area of the particle. However, The Yellow IRIS.TM. used the positional information of the boundary of a particle to determine only a single parameter of the particle. Further, The Yellow IRIS.TM. did not generate a representation that is a representation of the parameter of area in the field of view, which is separate and apart from the image containing the representation that has the boundary of the particle.